Pretty slow. Not much really happened throughout the book, and was kind of boring up until the last 10 pages or so.

I didn't care for Rylin's story. More Avery and Atlas drama please.

bury your gays trope is strong in this one.

avery - most fucking annoying girl ever. she’s insanely rich, white, self-centred, and privileged—and all she does the ENTIRE book is angst about how she isn’t allowed to fuck her adoptive brother. not cute.

atlas - also self-centred, rich, and, well. adoptive brother of avery. enough said. he made me want to throw up.

rylin - probably one of the only likeable characters. was kind of rooting for her to maybe end up with cord, mariel, or even calliope, but.

calliope - new character, and kind of interesting. definitely wonder what’s going to happen w her in the next book, at the very least.

leda - definitely grew on me. her arc was great, and i loved her thing w/ watt.

mariel - literally TWO chapters had her pov. what, so her girlfriend died last book and now she has no importance? she’s literally briefly introduced at the end—right before she herself is killed. biggest injustice ever.

Much like the first installment in The Thousandth Floor series, The Dazzling Heights is pure entertainment—with some very dark twists. I think Katharine McGee's storytelling and pacing improved in this novel over the first, and Heights moved at a more rapid pace than its predecessor despite its 400-plus page length. Even though this is meant to be a gossipy quick read, however, McGee's writing is far too overwrought in places—if I had to read one more description of pain as "liquid" in this novel, I would have been tempted to hurl the book across the room. And McGee's characters, much like the Gossip Girl series that seems to have greatly influenced this one, are utterly unlikable, selfish, and immature. Perhaps that's part of the fun, but it also grows irritating. The central character of Avery is particularly insipid and childlike. That said, McGee's story certainly draws the reader in in an addictive manner, and I polished this off in a couple of days. And the cliffhanger ending almost certainly guarantees that I'll keep reading, even though the novel was thoroughly mediocre. Overall if you're looking for a juicy, gossipy read that's heavy on dramatic storyline and light on character development, this will hit the spot.

Another good ending. Good progression in the storylines. Connects to the first one without leaning too heavily on it. Some new characters to add intrigue.

Guilty pleasure, for sure. Must read the first one before starting this one.
Soap opera YA meets futuristic, though not dystopic, sci fi.

Rating: 4.5

Gossip Girl, but in a 1000 storey building.